If Baltimore Ravens Somehow Miss Playoffs in 2026, Here's What Went Wrong

No Ravens fan would care to contemplate another season that does not result in some sort of playoff payoff.

They are among the betting favorites yet again to win the AFC, they appear to have a very favorable schedule and they no longer have John Harbaugh holding them back. I mean, let’s be real, that was essentially the overwhelming message sent by this front office in the sweeping changes they made.

But, this is football, crazy things happens, and this time of year there are invariably teams that are being slept on team that being way overhyped. Injuries are always the great equalizer. But there are a few other things that could certainly send this season askew, as well.

The Ravens haven’t missed the playoffs in consecutive years since 2015-2017 and the last time before that was 2004-2005. That’s a heck of a run in a league of parity. But it’s also true that nothing is guaranteed and this is rookie head coach and a rookie offensive coordinator and the quarterback is going into what could be his walk year despite two MVP awards and, well, a year ago someone would have been declared fairly nuts for suggesting Baltimore would miss the postseason entirely.

If it were to go very wrong, this is why:

Too Much Too Soon

I’m exceedingly confident that Minter will be ready and his scheme is pretty airtight and he will make the necessary adjustments. But there is not breeding ground for taking over a team for the first time and perhaps the learning curve will be steeper than anyone could imagine.

And, well, even the great Mike Macdonald needed time before his defense took hold and we know how that's worked out for him since. So it could be a little more fraught than we imagined.

I’ve also become increasingly confident that, while new coordinator Declan Doyle is going to be up for this, this is going to be a massive adjustment for him on game day; Minter has already masted the calling plays and in-game adjustment part of it. So there could be a scenario where the center position is a problem and the adjustment to a new system and new tempo is rougher than anyone would like and this team is off to another slow start and chasing the standings.

Not Enough Playmakers

This is has been an endemic problem during Eric DeCosta’s stint as general manager, and outside of Zay Flowers, there isn’t anyone you can absolutely count on to be a factor in the downfield pass game. Outside of 2024, it’s been a fairly common phenomenon.

I don't think it will be enough to underine their side, but if it goes south, it will certainly play a role in it.

And on the other side of the ball, if Trey Hendrickson does succumb to age and recent injury issues, and he isn’t a difference maker off the edge, well, we’ve all seen that movie before and last season it was the primary reason that defense collapsed to new lows. Are we sure Nnamdi Madubuike gets all the way? And Calais Campbell is 40-years-old.

If you are trying to paint a worst-case scenario, that’s where you begin.

Can’t Win At Home/In The Division

We’ve run these numbers during the Lamar Jackson era and it’s not nearly as impervious as you might think. Owning the NFC and owning prime time games, sure. But this team hasn’t been nearly good enough in these two metrics the last few years, and if that continues it’s going to make getting back to the playoffs that much more difficult.

Losing to a Steelers team a time or two that is less talented than them and/or a Browns team in the same boat, that’s a great way to undermine a bounceback campaign.

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